How to make the perfect pot of cold brewed iced coffee

I am a huge fan of caffeine, especially coffee. If I had given a speech after finishing my MBA, I would have thanked my family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and coffee. I really enjoy my morning mug of coffee throughout all of the seasons. I strongly prefer cold brewed iced coffee, but will occasionally opt for a hot coffee in the dead of winter.

What is the difference between cold brewed and regular coffee, you might wonder. Using cold water rather than hot makes the end product less bitter. I usually only add a splash of almond, soy, or cow's milk to my cold brewed coffee, and no sweetener. I enjoy the taste the way it is. I also love lattes, but they are full of calories, upwards of 300+ for a large cup. That's almost as many calories as one might eat for breakfast, so I prefer to stick to coffee and save a latte as a very rare treat.

I've been drinking expensive cold brewed iced coffee from my local coffee shop. By expensive I mean $3-4 per large cup. That really adds up, so I thought I'd see if I could figure out how to cold brew at home. I tried and failed several years ago, and only thought to revisit it this year. I asked my local barista at Fazenda how they cold brewed their coffee, since it was my favorite. She gave me some helpful tips, so I will include them here so you can cold brew your own coffee at home.

Cold brewed iced coffee instructions

Ratio of coffee to water: 3-4 tsp. coffee per 6 oz. water

Coarsely grind the beans, and pre-soak them for 5 minutes in 10-20% of the water. Add the rest of the water to the grinds and let sit 8-12 hours. Then strain with a coffee filter or cheesecloth. This concentrated liquid might need to be diluted a bit to suit your taste.

I found this quite messy, so I found this cold brewed contraption on Amazon. It works great and I don't need to measure the coffee. I just fill to the top of the basket and add water.

Another option if you also like hot coffee is the Toddy.

With so many choices out there, put a dent in Dunkin Donuts' and Starbucks' profits and make your own. Happy brewing!

Hey, Mickey, you're so fine!

We just returned from a week at Disney World. It was hot, exhausting, and so much fun to see the magic on Lu's face as she met her idols, the princesses.

"Look, Elsa!"

As you can imagine, I read a lot about tips and tricks to use on our trip leading up to it. I'd like to post our best-of here so that you can use this list for your next trip to see the mouse.

1. Rent, or bring, a stroller. There is so much walking that even our 5 year old who hasn't used one in years spent most of her time here. It doubled as a handy napping area and backpack carrier. We rented one at the parks, which was cheaper to do across multiple days. Also bring a backpack with sunblock, a mini first aid kit, water and snacks, ponchos, misting fans, and extra camera battery and clothes.

2. Buy your souvenirs at home. I went to the Wrentham Disney Store and spending $65 on a Frozen beach towel, Mulan hat, Sleeping Beauty sleep mask, Tinkerbell dress, Rapunzel sunglasses, t-shirt, and Disney water bottles and canvas bag. I called the gifts her special surprise each day and it was a huge deal. Extra bonus if you can also use these at the end of the day to reward good behavior. We still ended up with a $12 Frozen balloon and $25 mouse headband on this trip, but that was what we might have spent daily without the special surprises.

3. Get a guidebook. We used The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2014. This book was so helpful! We booked the recommended car service, Tiffany's, which exceeded our expectations. They dropped us off for groceries on the way to our hotel. We saved a ton of money bringing our own bottled water and PB&J sandwiches. We also found our favorite restaurant Raglan Road here.

Lu with her step dancing friend Emma

4. Take rest days. We relaxed at the hotel for part of Sunday, all day Tuesday, and all day Saturday. It was at least 90 degrees with torrential rain in the evening, so it was a huge relief to have some down time amid the hectic pace of the rest of the trip.

5. Other advice. A friend recommended the cinnamon buns at Gaston's pub, which were really good. She also suggested bringing a Sharpie if your kid likes to get autographs from the characters. Luckily we missed out on that particular experience since Lu wasn't interested. 

I doubt that this will become an annual trip for our family, but I'm so glad we got the opportunity to go when Lu was the perfect age to embrace the magic!

What did you do today that scares you?

Eleanor Roosevelt famously gave the advice to "do one thing every day that scares you." That's a tall order, Eleanor. How is one supposed to carve out the time to make a daring decision, not just monthly or weekly, but daily? In our always-on, always connected world, it's easy to do something scary but ill advised: a dissenting comment on Facebook or an inflammatory tweet, perhaps. Surely running into oncoming traffic would get my adrenaline going, but I don't believe that is what the former First Lady had in mind. So I would add a huge caveat to this advice, to make sure that the thing you choose is not dangerous but useful. The greater challenge is not to make a scary choice with such regularity, but to carefully choose a task or step that will not just scare you, but bring greater benefits.

What might a scary but useful choice look like? Maybe it's a feat of strength that catapults you out of your boring gym routine. Or you could speak up in a meeting without having all of your points carefully crafted in your head. How about merely taking a detour from your usual route home to see if it's faster?

My perfectionist tendencies often get in the way of taking a calculated risk. In an uncharacteristic move, I took a chance last week and was pleasantly surprised with the results. One of the many amazing benefits my company offers is an indoor pool. I've been swimming laps at least a couple of times per week since I started. I never belonged to a swim team but I love the water, and was a lifeguard and taught sailing. So, with little formal training, my technique is a bit lacking. I'd gaze over in wonder at the more advanced swimmers doing the flip turns in the lanes next to me and wish that I knew how to do it.

Last week, I decided that I would give it a try, even though I had no idea what I was doing. I fretted as I approached the wall, wondering if I would hit it with enough force to bruise my face and my ego. Then, at the last second, I flipped over, kicked off of the wall, and surfaced, almost in one smooth motion! I grinned, well, as much as one can while rhythmically breathing, and tried it again. My turns haven't all gone as well as that first one went, but I haven't completely missed one, either. I'm enjoying the opportunity to improve my flips with each swimming session. 

Swimming-themed birthday card from my friend at work

Thinking back to the last time I took a chance in a physical sense, I was on a yoga retreat last autumn and did a supported wheel pose. It was the first time I'd gone into the position and the feeling of dropping back while my head was upside down was terrifying. I was grateful for my supportive yogis and instructor, but I was not at all comfortable with being upside down. However, I felt accomplished after I finished. 

I'm sure I didn't look nearly as graceful

These have both been such positive experiences. I hope that I the next time I try something new it will not take me nearly a year. I am sure that there are plenty of other opportunities to do something that, while a bit frightening at first, will turn out to be rewarding. 

What are you holding you back on based on some preconceived notion that you don't have the information, power, permission, or experience to do it right? Jump right in, the water's fine!

My favorite go-to breakfast

I have a love-hate relationship with breakfast. I know it's the most important meal of the day, but it's also the time of day I'm most pressed for time. For a while, I tried hard boiled eggs in the morning. They were filling, but uninspired. Cereal is boring, and not the healthiest option. And I only have time for brunch at my favorite spot Centre St. Cafe a couple of times a month. So, to start most days right, I've found a breakfast that is nutritious, filling, and easy. Did I mention it's quick to make?

Wait for it ... it's a green smoothie! Gross, you say? That's what I said, with an unconvinced expression to my colleague who suggested it to me. Nothing like kale in the morning. Ew. She suggested not to knock it before trying it, so I gave it a whirl. Around the same time I got a Nutribullet for my dad's birthday and got one as part of the deal. I've been hooked since then. I've included a few recipe links at the end of this post.

Here's the one tip that makes my smoothie-making life, well, smoother. You know how this is so true of avocados?

Well, this was causing a problem with my green smoothies. There was about half a day during which avocados were perfect for my smoothie, but I only needed about 1/3 of an avocado for each smoothie.  When I stored the other half of avocado in the fridge, I did not like the results the next morning.

Not wanting to frequent the grocery store on a daily basis just to get fresh avocados, I invented the 'Cado Cube. 

To make, just scoop fresh, ripe avocados into your blender or Nutribullet. Note that you may want to time your avocado purchase accordingly so you won't be at work when they ripen. Add a few tablespoons of almond milk or water, and blend. Scoop into ice cube trays and freeze. Keep your 'Cado Cubes in a ziplock bag in the freezer, and add 2 to each smoothie.

Now that it's farmer's market season, I can easily pick up some fresh kale for my smoothies, like I did tonight. I also got radishes, upon Lu's request, oddly enough. Stay tuned to see if she will eat them.

Here are the smoothie recipes I promised. This entire site is devoted to them! I usually put these ingredients in my smoothie:

a couple of handfuls of spinach or kale (fresh or frozen), or 1/3-1/2 up to the Max line on your Nutribullet

1 banana

2 Cado Cubes

1 tsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. bee pollen

1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. black elderberry syrup

a few tablespoons orange juice

a few tablespoons water if needed

whatever fresh or frozen fruit I have on hand. Peaches, mangoes, pears, apples, berries, and kiwis all work great.

Edited 10/25/19 to add, don't forget to soak your chia seeds (overnight or at least a half hour) to get the optimal nutritional benefit. 

Here's an official recipe:

Kimberly Snyder is nutritionist to the stars and author of The Beauty Detox Solution, published in 2011 to critical acclaim and praise from such names as Dr. Mehmet Oz, Drew Barrymore, Fergie, Hilary Duff and Owen Wilson. She prepares food for clients on Hollywood’s biggest film sets and gets them cameraready for starring roles and red carpet events. Snyder’s nutritional philosophy is rooted in the belief that health and beauty are entirely synonymous: outer beauty is a reflection of inner health. www.kimberlysnyder.net

Ingredients (64 ounces / 2-4 servings)

• 1 ½- 2 cups very cold, filtered water
• 6 cups spinach, chopped ( I use Kale instead of spinach b/c I use spinach in my salads)
• 5 cups organic romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 stalks of organic celery
• 1 organic apple, cored and chopped
• 1 organic pear, cored and chopped
• 1 organic banana
• 1–2 tbsp. fresh organic lemon juice

Optional Ingredients

• Ice cubes (the extra coldness can help newbies with the taste)
• 1/2 cup of organic cilantro
• 1/2 cup of organic parsley

Directions

Add water, spinach and chopped romaine to the blender. Starting the blender on a low speed; mix until smooth. Gradually move to higher speeds and add the herbs, celery, pear, and apple. Add the banana and lemon juice last.

*For 1 serving, cut out one of the fruits and the cel

Productivity hacks

I've had a lot of people ask me how I was able to graduate with honors from a rigorous MBA program while parenting a young child and getting promoted in my career. I made a few missteps along the way, but ultimately I've learned a lot about efficiency and delegation in that almost two-year time frame. I will summarize it here in the hopes you glean a tip or two that helps you.

My favorite app for managing my school notes is Evernote. I organized my notebooks by semester with tags for course names and subjects. You can use Evernote to photograph and record, too. The app also works great for saving tax information like charitable receipts; just tag them with taxes and the year.

I save any emails of appreciation in a Thank You email folder, and I use this to track my work accomplishments in a quarterly basis. I include verbal feedback using the Job Journal format suggested by the Essential Pay Raise workbook for Women at Work Options (please note my affiliate status).

Managing your to-do list, rather than letting it manage you, is a tricky proposition. I use the built-in task list on my iPhone for stuff that needs to get done but not this week. I schedule items such as making a phone call into my daily schedule in Outlook.

For my overall areas of focus at home, school or work, I employ Peter Bregman's 18 minutes 6-box to-do list. The format keeps me on track. I re-do it every week or so, rather than every day.

Another time management tool I love is the Pomodoro technique. I was able to write the draft of all of my graduate school essays in 1 25-minute period of focus. I still had to revise them, but it took a lot less time than if I hadn't set a timer.

Another cool tool I've used with success is Doodle. This easy scheduling tool allows you to pick the optimal date for an event among many busy people without sending 50 emails back and forth.

What time management tools do you find most effective?

Secrets of a busy mom

Well, they're not secrets exactly. More like Stuff I Learned the Hard Way. Mostly through experience and trial and error. And also through my amazing moms' forum hosted on Big Tent.

Rather than keeping separate calendars, I find that a shared calendar of everything going on in my life works best. I have the same 24 hours each day and some work time bleeds into home time and vice versa, so tracking everything in one spot makes sense. This Business Insider article supports this philosophy. I use Google Calendar sync to send all of my Outlook calendar appointments to my Google calendar so my husband can see what I'm up to. Make sure to set up a 1-way sync if you attempt this, as I think my 2-way sync broke the internet back in 2011.

I can't say enough about how telecommuting has made my life easier! Pat Katepoo's site Work Options (please note I am an affiliate) sets the gold standard on how to win over even the strictest boss on the merits of telecommuting. Her system couldn't be simpler or more effective.

Delegating the hundreds of chores I have has been key to being able to focus on the right things. If you live in Boston, you can post for a mother's helper on the BU jobs board. Having the extra help with housework makes me feel less pressure to spend evenings cleaning up. 3 hours a week seems to be enough to keep the laundry, dishes, clutter, etc. at bay. If you have a local college or high school students nearby, see if they want to earn some extra money by helping you with the laundry or dishes. A regular (twice a month) cleaning service is also a luxury upon which I've grown dependent.

I also get help in the cooking department from the food delivery service Cooking from the Heart. It costs under $200 for nearly a month's worth of dinners delivered to us. If you prefer to cook yourself, save some shopping time by using a grocery delivery service like Peapod.

I also use the site Task Rabbit for small errands. I've had people help organize my condo, clean before a party, insulate my windows, and install a microwave. This code PAL18413 gives you $10 off your first task!

Give some thought to whether your schedule is working for or against you. For my husband and me, splitting the schedule works best. I leave the house at 5 am to beat traffic and get to the gym (my commute is 50 minutes). He drops our daughter off at daycare at 7 and heads to work. Since I start work at 7, I can leave between 3:30 and 4 for my 50-60 min. commute home. I pick our daughter up and come home. For the pickup, I carpool with a mom who goes to our daycare and keep 2 carseats in my car. Brainstorm creative ways you can ease the stress of pressure points like daycare pickup in your schedule.

For the small amount of time spent with family in the evening, I try to just turn off or ignore my phone and enjoy that time. I like to make the bath and story time part of our evening ritual.

Networking

I've had several friends approach me for tips on networking. While it's hard for me to put my specific tips or networking style into writing, since it's more of an in-person thing, I figured I would give it my best shot.

First of all, decide the reason for your desire to network. Are you doing it just to expand your professional circle, or are you trying to find your next job? The urgency of your situation might determine how aggressive you want your networking approach to be. I always prefer low-pressure networking, when I have a job that I like and I'm just exploring to meet like-minded people and get some new perspectives. Understanding your reason for networking will allow you to choose an event that may be worth your time.

Find out if anyone you know is in the area of the event. I sent out an email yesterday to a couple of my former coworkers and was lucky enough to run into one at the local coffee shop. It made my day to see her smiling face and we caught up quickly before she began her workday and I began mine. Thanks for the coffee! 

Take time to enjoy your surroundings, no matter how briefly. I love walking through the streets of Cambridge, observing the interesting discussions going on around me and adding new books to my reading list at the MIT Coop.

I attended a networking event this morning, the Boston Tech breakfast.

It was my first time attending the event, and I heard some really interesting new business ideas, and also met some fascinating people. I also used the opportunity to invite along an existing colleague in my network, and he was happy that he made time for the event too.

If you are attending an event with a specific objective, such as a job search, it can be helpful to do a search of the attendee list and pick out a few different people you hope to meet at the event. It doesn't hurt to contact these people in advance, or follow up with them after the event if you don't have the opportunity during.

Make sure to listen attentively during the event, rather than following distractions on your smartphone. The presenter at this morning's events gave attendees the opportunity to speak about their situation, and one woman mentioned that she was looking for a program management job. I followed up with her after the presentations since she is in my field. We had a really interesting conversation about the PMP certification, lean six Sigma, and bridging the gap between technical and business-minded people. I was able to pass on a couple of resume and interviewing tips that I hope will be helpful in her job search.

Smile! Be open to any opportunity to meet someone new. While waiting to speak to the organizer of the event to see if I could help him to ask my company to sponsor an upcoming tech breakfast, I met a person from the Swiss Consulate who is looking to support new startups. We had a fun conversation, and I got to practice my French to boot.

If you are typically a shy introvert, give yourself a little pep talk before you enter the meeting. Then fake an extroverted personality until you make it.

See if you can connect with someone by trying to find a shared interest. Ask questions about the person, such as why they attended the event. People love to talk about themselves, so listen with attentiveness and see what you find in common. 

Many times, these small conversations at networking events don't lead to anything, but that is missing the point. I always find them engaging and inspiring. It's an excellent way to stay involved in my field and meet new people. 

I love to deviate from my routine and try something new, or take the chance to revisit something I enjoy. Today I had an excellent lunch at Penang, which I rarely get the opportunity to because my family doesn't enjoy Malaysian food. While the lunch or networking event by themselves don't necessarily equate to higher productivity, I always come away with a new idea or two. Today I found out about a cool new whiteboarding app startup I'm going to try to beta test with my team. I feel like a change of scenery and new experiences gained from networking really enhance my life and expand my horizons, both personally and professionally.